Hú Wénhuàn:introduction about his biography and legends,main books and academic thoughts.
✵胡文煥(Hú Wénhuàn):writer, bibliophile and famous engraver who ever lived during the Ming Dynasty, the author of Guang Si Xu Zhi (for more heirs that should be known), a book of gynecology and eugenics, most of the contents is selected from proven effective prescriptions or long-term accumulated life experience of the common people.
胡文煥 (Hú Wénhuàn).
Brief Introduction
漢語名 (Chinese Name):
胡文煥 (Hú Wénhuàn)
Alias:
德甫 (Dé Fǔ)
Popular name:
胡文煥 (Hú Wénhuàn)
English Name:
Hu Wenhuan, or Wenhuan Hu (Given/Family).
Hometown:
Qian Tang
Dates:
Unknown,during WanLi years of Ming.
Main works:
《廣嗣須知》(Guang Si Xu Zhi),《文會堂琴譜》(Wen Hui Tang Qin Pu),《古器具名》(Gu Qi Ju Ming),《胡氏粹编》(Hu Shi Cui Bian).
Representative works:
《廣嗣須知》(Guang Si Xu Zhi),《格致叢書》(Ge Zhi Cong Shu).
Biography and legends:
胡文煥 (Hú Wénhuàn), writer, bibliophile, and engraver who ever lived during the Ming Dynasty. His alias is 德甫 (Dé Fǔ), another alias is 德文 (Dé Wén), self-title 全庵 (Quán ān), he was born in Wuyuan, Jiangxi, and lived in Renhe (today's Hangzhou). He had studied at the Imperial College, but had no honors in the imperial civil examination. Therefore, his official career was not good, ever served as a small official such as an assistant of county magistrate. His date of birth and passing away is unknown in detail, according to date records of his books, he lived mainly during the Wanli years(late of the 16th century to early of the 17th century). He has studied the thoughts and works of Taoism. Hu Wenhuan has a deep understanding of rhythm, is good at traditional musical instruments, he is fond of collecting books. He built a book collection building "Wenhuitang" between Wanli and Tianqi years (Tianqi is the reign title of Ming Xizong, year 1621~1627 AD). Later, he took the poems by Zhanghan of Jin and changed its name to "Sihui Hall". A bookstore is also set up to engrave books. Used for circulation of ancient books.
Main books and academic thoughts:
Most of the books engraved by Hu Wenhuan are compiled into a series of books, mainly including Bai Jia Ming Shu (Famous Books of a hundred schools), Ge Zhi Cong Shu (Serie Books of Gezhi), Shou Yang Cong Shu (Serie Books of Longevity), and added up more than one hundred kinds, including a variety of health maintenance and gynecological medical books, there is no lack of secret and precious books. There are more than 600 kinds of books and more than 1,300 volumes were engraved by Hu Wenhuan in his life. For example, the series book Ge Zhi Cong Shu (the Serie Books of Gezhi) has collected 181 kinds of books in more than 600 volumes, 168 kinds survived till today; a collection of various monographs of ancient textual research and literature, exegesis, art, etc., among which there are many secret volumes and many rare books.
The book Guang Si Xu Zhi (for more heirs that should be known) is a traditional Chinese medicine book compiled by Hu Wenhuan in the Ming Dynasty, a book of gynecology, not in volumes. It was compiled and finished in the Wanli 20th year of the Ming Dynasty (the year 1592 AD). During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Hu Wenhuan re-edited the previous book Zhōng Sī Jí by 蔡龍陽 (Cai Longyang), and quoted some content from the book Guang Si Yao Yu (the key theory of more heirs), compiled it into the book Guang Si Xu Zhi (for more heirs that should be known). This book advocates attention and regulations from nine aspects, namely accumulation of Yin virtue (good deed to the doer's credit in the next word), strengthening vitality, healthcare, take light diet, tripod-selecting, refining recipes, knowing sympathia, choosing the day, and combining the natural transformation, taking tonics at the right time, and attached ten selected prescriptions. Accumulation of Yin virtue was placed at the beginning of the book, and tirelessly quoting the classics. It is believed that the most important prerequisite for man’s desire to have many children and grandchildren is to accumulate Yin virtue and doing good deeds. After that, it emphasized consolidating Qi to protect the whole body, adjust Qi and blood to strengthen the essence and vitality, take a light diet to support essence and Qi, to achieve harmony between the physical shape and the vitality. Although the whole book is short, most of the contents are selected from proven effective prescriptions or long-term accumulated life experiences of the common people. Many of the contents still have a certain reference value for today's eugenics.
References:
1.Hú Wénhuàn:introduction about his biography and legends,main books and academic thoughts.
✵胡文煥(Hú Wénhuàn):writer, bibliophile and famous engraver who ever lived during the Ming Dynasty, the author of Guang Si Xu Zhi (for more heirs that should be known), a book of gynecology and eugenics, most of the contents is selected from proven effective prescriptions or long-term accumulated life experience of the common people.
胡文煥 (Hú Wénhuàn), writer, bibliophile, and engraver who ever lived during the Ming Dynasty. His alias is 德甫 (Dé Fǔ), another alias is 德文 (Dé Wén), self-title 全庵 (Quán ān), he was born in Wuyuan, Jiangxi, and lived in Renhe (today's Hangzhou). He had studied at the Imperial College, but had no honors in the imperial civil examination. Therefore, his official career was not good, ever served as a small official such as an assistant of county magistrate. His date of birth and passing away is unknown in detail, according to date records of his books, he lived mainly during the Wanli years(late of the 16th century to early of the 17th century). He has studied the thoughts and works of Taoism. Hu Wenhuan has a deep understanding of rhythm, is good at traditional musical instruments, he is fond of collecting books. He built a book collection building "Wenhuitang" between Wanli and Tianqi years (Tianqi is the reign title of Ming Xizong, year 1621~1627 AD). Later, he took the poems by Zhanghan of Jin and changed its name to "Sihui Hall". A bookstore is also set up to engrave books. Used for circulation of ancient books.
